Process for the manufacture of gas by the admission of high carbon oil to generator during blow run



Aug. 28; 1934.

P. w L JANEWAY, JR PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GA 5 BY THE ADMISSION OF Filed NOV. 21, 1929 M VEIVTO HIGH CARBON OIL TO GENERATOR DURING BLOW RUN noonss FOR THE MANUFACTURE F GAS BY THE ADMISSION OF HIGH CARBON iUiIL TU GENERATOR. DURING BLOW RUN lirice W. .laneway, In, Media, Pa,

assignor to The United Gas Improvement Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 21, 1929, Serial No. 498,74?

' s cm. (or. 48-208) The present invention relates to the manufacture of carburetted water gas.

The object of the invention is the provision of an improved method'for the utilization .of

it high carbon forming oils in the manufacture of such gas. Y

It is well known that the utilization of high carbon forming oils by spraying them into a carburetter filled with checker brick work, in

lo accordance with usual carburetted water gas practice, is of doubtful economy due to the rapid clogging of the checker brick and the frequent cleaning necessary.

It has been previously proposed to spray such oils on the generator fuel bed during the water gas' run, vaporizing them by the heat which has been stored in the top of the fuel bed during the air blast, heat radiated from the upper portion of the generator walls and the sensible heat of the uprun water gas. It is difficult, however, without recourse to special air blasting, to vaporize sufficient oil during the uprun, to carburet the total blue water gas, to the calorific power required for town distribution. It can be done, by air blasting the top of the fuel bed around its margin during the regular air blasting operation, but this has an unfavorable effect upon-generator fuel economy;

According to the present invention, during the latter part of the regular air blasting of the generator fuel bed, when the carbon monoxide content of the resultant blast gases has become high and the carbon'dioxide low and the blast gases have appreciable calorific power, I lead these blast gases to storage, instead of burning them in the carburetter and superheater and passing the burned gases to atmosphere. In other words, I make what is termed a blow run".

During this blow run, I introduce high carbon forming oil to the top of the generator, spraying it on the fuel bed.

I follow the "blow run by an uprun water gas step and may continue the introduction of oil to the top of the generator throughout the uprun. It is preferable to get the'total oil to be employed in the generator, into the generator as soon as possible, so as to allow the maximum time for vaporization. Therefore, I may desire V to introduce all the oil to be introduced to the 50 generator, during the blow run or during the blow run and the first part of the steam uprun.

I prefer to follow the uprun by a downrun with steam passed reversely through the set, to recuperate heat from the usual carburetting vessels and carry it back to the generator, to

dry out and coke the oil residues left on the top of the fuel bed, recovering this unvaporized volatile matter remaining after the uprun, to prevent its combustion during the succeeding air blast, and preparing the oil residues for sub- M sequent use in supplementing the generator fuel in water gas production.

The invention will be further described in connection with the attached drawing which shows a partial elevation and partial vertical cross sect1on of the usual carburette'd water gas apparatus, which may be advantageously employed in the performance of this invention.

Referring to the drawing,

1 1s a water gas generator, 2 a carburetter, 3 a superheater and 4 a wash box of the usual carburetted water gas set.

The generator is provided with the ignited fuel bed 5 and with the air blast supply means 6 for up air blasting and the steam supply means 7 for up steaming the fuel bed. The generator may be provided with the steam supply means 8 for down steaming the fuel bed, or steam for dtovgn steaming may be introduced elsewhere as a The generator in the apparatus illustrated is provided with the offtake 10 for down run gas leading through valve 11 to the wash box. The generator is further provided with the connec tion v12 leading to the carburetter 2 and with the oil supply means 13 which is capable of finely subdividing the oil.

14 is a means of supply of secondary air to the carburetter. The carburetter is connected to the superheater by connection 15, and is preferably provided with checker brick as indicated at 16. The superheater is likewise preferably provided with checker brick indicated at 17. Thesuperheater is provided with the stack valve 18 v and with the gas ofitake 19, leading through valve 20 to the wash box. 21 is the offtake from the wash box to storage or other disposal.

In operation, the generator fuel bed of solid carbonaceous fuel is blasted with air supplied at 6, the resultant blast gases passing through the carburetter and superheater, and, during the first part of the blast, being burned therein with air supplied through 14. During this operation, heat is stored in the fuel bed and in the carburetter and superheater. During this step valve 11 is cosed and the stack valve 18 is open and the burned blast gases pass to the atmosphere.

During the first portion of the air blast the carbon monoxide content of the blast gases leaving the generator is low and the carbon dioxide 110 content is relatively high. As the fire temperature increases, the carbon monoxide content of the blast gases increases and the carbon dioxide content decreases, so that during the latter portion of the blast a fair air producer gas is made.

When the carbon monoxide content reaches the desired value, the admission of secondary air through 14 is discontinued, valve 20 isopened, valve 18 is closed and with valve 11 closed also, the blast gases are passed through connection 19 to the wash box 4 instead of through stack valve 18 to atmosphere.

During this blow run, high carbon forming oil, such as Mexican or Venezuela crude or topped c', is admitttd to the generator through 13 and sprayed onto the top of the fuel bed. The hot blast gases passing through the top of the fuel bed vaporize the oil on the fuel bed and in its fall through the space above the fuel bed, aided by the heat stored in the top of the fuel bed and radiant heat from the generator walls. Preferably, the oil is introduced quickly to secure all the time available for its vaporization.

The oil vapors pass with the blow run gas through the carburettor and superheater where they are fixed. If desired, some steam may be admitted at 8 and passed through the carburetter and superheater with the oil vapors and blow run" gas.

After upward air blast with oil simultaneously admitted to the top of the generator, the top of the generator may be purged with steam and the air blast reversed admitting air through 14 and, if desired, simultaneously admitting oil, to the top of the fuel bed in the generator, the result gas being passed downward through the fuel bed and out of the generator through connection 10.

At the end of the blow run, the air blast is shut off, and steam is admitted through 7 and an uprun is made, the resultant water gas passes through the top of the fuel bed and aids in continuing the vaporization of oil admitted during the blow run. If all the oil has not been admitted during the blow run further oil is introduced during the steam uprun. The water gas and oil vapors pass through the carburetter and superheater where the oil vapors are fixed and thence through the wash box.

The uprun is preferably followed by a down run with steam admitted at 9, and passed reversely through the superheater and carburettor where it is superheated and thence downward througl. the generator. fuel bed. The superheated steam assists in completing the volatilization of the oil residues on the top of the fuel'bed, the

volatiles driven off are carried down through the water gas zone where they are cracked to lowspecific gravity gas, which to the extent produced, counterbalances the relatively high specific gravity of the blow run gas. Carbon released by the cracking is deposited in the fuel bed, and, in part, is consumed by the steam, in addition to the other fuel in the production of water gas. The water gas and cracked oil gas pass through connection 10 and valve 11 to the wash box 4- and thence to storage. During this down run operation, valves 18 and 20 are closed and valve 11 open.

If it is desired to augment the production of low specific gravity gas, further oil may be admitted through 13 during the down runvaporized and cracked in the fuel bed.

After the steam down run, a short up purge may be made and the cycle repeated.

The admission of the high carbon oil to the top of the fuel bed during the blow run increases the time available for its vaporization and also makes available more hot gas to aid in its vaporization.

The air blow run gas rising from the intense= ly hot and freshly blasted water gas zone is hotter than the succeeding water gas and largely increases the quantity of oil that may be vaporized. While it is true that additional enrichment may be necessary to counterbalance the relatively low calorific power of the "blow run gas, sufficient increased vaporization can be secured by the admission of the oil during the "blow run to take account of this factor also.

When vaporizing oil on the top of the generator fuel bed the carburetting vessels are relieved of their usual burden of vaporization. It, therefore,

is not necessary to store as much heat in them 'pil, it is true, but many high coke forming oils,

such as, for instance, bunker oil" are at present in many localities cheaper than a solid fuel such as coke.

The gist of the applicant's invention resides in the process of manufacturing gas and is not limited to the apparatus in which this process is performed. The generator, carburetter and superheater may be of any form, such as the standard three shell set shown, or may be a two shell set or may all be contained in a single shell. Likewise, the carburetter and superheater may contain checker brick work or not as desired.

I claim:

1. A process of manufacturing carburetted water gas as practiced in a generator adapted to contain an ignited solid fuel bed, a regenerator, and a superheater, including the following steps: 113 air blasting the fuel bed in the generator and storing the heat of the blast gases in the regenerator and superheater by combustion with secondary air therein; air blasting the fuel bed and simultaneously introducing oil to the top of the fuel bed and passing the resulting gases through the regenerator and superheater; air blasting the fuel bed, vaporizing oil remaining in the top of the fuel bed, and passing the resulting gas through the fuel bed; and making a run with 25 steam through the fuel bed, the regenerator and superheater thereby generating water gas.

2. A process of manufacturing carburetted water gas as practiced in'a generator adapted to contain an ignited solid fuel bed, a regenator, and a superheater, including the following steps: air blasting the fuel bed in the generator and storing the heat of the blast gases in the carburetter and superheater by combustion with secondary air therein; air blasting the fuel bed and simultaneously introducing oil to the top of the fuel bed and passing the resulting gases through the regenerator and superheater; air blasting the fuel bed, vaporizing oil remaining in the top of the fuel bed, and passing the resulting gas through the fuel bed; and making a back run with steam through the superheater and regenerator and through the fuel bed thereby generating water gas.

3. In a process of manufacturing carburetted water gas, which process includes the following steps; one step being, air blasting an ignited bed of solid fuel, burning the resulting air blast gases with secondary air, storing heat generated by said combustion, and passing off the burned gases to Mg the atmosphere; andanother step being, generating carburetted water gas by steam blasting the ignited fuel bed, introducing high carbon oil to the top of the generator fuel bed during the steam blast, vaporizing the oiland carburetting the watergas therewith, conducting the carburetted water gas in -contact with the stored heat, and leading of! the carburetted water gas to storage: the improved step which consists, during the latter part of the air blast, in ceasing the introduction of secondary air, commencing the introduction of high carbon oil to the top of the 

